I finally made a decision and put a deposit down on my new touring bike, a 2011 Rocky Mountain Sherpa!!!

I considered most of the usual suspects when I was shopping, and they were all good bikes. I chose the Sherpa because my favorite LBS is a Rocky dealer. The only bummer is that I have to wait until MAY(!!!) to get my new bike

In the meantime, I'm shopping for the racks, panniers, etc. to make this bike a dream touring machine!